Smectics with Three Dimensional Periodicity

COFFEE_KLATCH · Invited

Abstract

We discuss the ordering of liquid crystalline phases which possess both cubic symmetry and smectic-like, lamellar ordering. We will show that there is a fundamental frustration in this system. We propose an ansatz based on triply-periodic minimal surfaces. We discuss more general constructions based on topological field configurations and tesselation of the hyperbolic plane.

Authors

  • Randall Kamien

    University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania